FIRST DOCTOR.--_Question_ by the prisoner's counsel and the Court--"Supposing a person, in the middle of the day, without any suggested motive, to fire a loaded pistol at her Majesty, passing along the road in a carriage; to remain on the spot; to declare he was the person who did it; to take pains to have that known; and afterwards to enter freely into discussion, and answer any questions put to him on the subject: would you, from those facts alone, judge a person to be insane?" _Answer._--"I should." THE COURT.--"You mean to say, upon your oath, that if you heard these facts stated, you should conclude that the person would be mad?" THE DOCTOR.--"I do." THE COURT.--"Without making any other inquiry?" THE DOCTOR.--"Yes!... If, as a physician, I was employed to ascertain whether a person in whom I found these facts was sane or insane, I should undoubtedly give my opinion that he was insane." THE COURT.--"As a physician, you think every crime, plainly committed, to be committed by a madman?" THE DOCTOR.--"Nothing of the kind; but a crime committed under all the circumstances of the hypothesis!" As to the hypothesis proposed, the reader will not have failed to observe how inapplicable it was to the proved facts. Oxford certainly "remained on the spot" because he could not possibly have got away; there being a high wall on one side, high park railings on the other, and an infuriate crowd, as well as the Queen's attendants, on all sides. He also certainly "declared he was the person who did it;" but how absurd to deny what so many had witnessed? SECOND DOCTOR.--He is asked the same question which had been proposed to the first Doctor, with the addition of "hereditary insanity being in the family" of the person concerned. _Answer._--"I should consider these circumstances of strong suspicion; but other facts should be sought before one could be warranted in giving a positive opinion." _Question_ by the Prisoner's Counsel.--"Are there instances on record of persons becoming suddenly insane, whose conduct has been previously only eccentric?" _Answer._--"Certainly. Supposing, in addition, that there was previous delusion, my opinion would be that he is unsound. Such a form of insanity exists, and is recognised." _Question_ by the Counsel for the Crown.--"What form of insanity do you call it?" _Answer._--"Lesion of the will--insanity connected with the development of the will. It means more than a loss of control over the conduct--morbid propensity. Moral irregularity is the result of that disease. Committing a crime without any _apparent_ motive is an indication of insanity!" ... _Question_ by the Court.--"Do you conceive that this is really a _medical_ question at all, which has been put to you?" _Answer._--"I do: I think medical men have more means of forming an opinion on that subject than other persons."